January 25, 2008

Ugly and never shown in profile this dwarf-like god looks very un-Egyptian, and indeed it is suspected that he was imported from somewhere else, maybe other parts of Africa.
Still, as a protector of homes and childbirth, Bes was quite popular although no temples were dedicated to him.
He also acted as god of war and music.
This high relief of Bes (also spelt: Bisu or Bez) is at the entrance to the Dendera temple of Hathor (near Luxor)

January 28, 2007

When I last visited Anu Simbel in 2004, it was imposible to take photos of the inner sanctuary.
Fortunately, I had already done so 12 years earlier.
In the sanctuary there four seated statues of Amun, Ra-Harakhty, Ptah, and Ramesses.
The temple was constructed in such a way that the sun shines directly on 3 of the statues during two days of the year only the statue of Ptah - the god of darkness - remains in the shadow.
More pictures from Abu Simbel.

December 12, 2006

Bodhgaya is maybe the holiest place in Buddhism as Siddharta Gautama (the historical Buddha) is said to have attained enlightenment here.
The tree brightly decorated at the Mahabodhi Temple is said to be a direct descendant of the actual one under which Buddha was meditating when this happened.
Bodhgaya itself is a pleasant small town, remarkable for the different temples erected here by the various Buddhist denominations. A very good chance to come and compare…

April 10, 2006

This is a Greco-Roman building near the Kalabsha temple.
Actually, the kiosk now stands about 20-30 km from its original site - like many other archaeologic treasures it was moved before the Aswan dam was opened.

July 31, 2005

in Wiesbaden itself, this building is universally known as “Griechische Kapelle” (Greek Chapel).
It was, however, built for Elisabeta Michailovna, the Russian wife of the grand Duke Adolf of Nassau.
There is an interesting small Russian graveyard nearby

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March 22, 2005

The Buddhist “dagoba” once was among the greatest of its kind, but now it is completely overgrown.
A stupa is a Buddhist monument, normally housing a relic. In Sri Lanka, the stupas are called “dagoba”.
This one once housed the famous tooth relic now venerated in the Temple of the Tooth in Kandy.

September 8, 2004

In the Peruvian and Chilean desert, there are numerous, gigantic drawings made by carefully moving aside the dark pebbles thereby exposing the brighter soil underneath.
The most famous examples of this technique are the so-called “geoglyphs” in Nazca Peru.
As the area is mostly flat, these can only be appreciated from a plane!
Did their builders already have the technology to take to air either with a balloon as some believe or even using alien technology as others imply? Or were the images only supposed to be seen by the gods or shamans who could “leave their body” in a state of trance to “fly” over them?
(Personally, I wonder why the drawings are often very crude - if they were produced by aliens capable of interstella travel, it must have been their pre-school children who drew them!).
A slightly less famous (and less enigmatic) specimen is the so-called “Atacama Giant” in the Chilean Atacama desert: this figure is 115 m tall, but can be viewed quite well without leaving the ground as it takes up the slope of a hill.
If the photos fom my Peru travel turn out well, I may be able to post pictures of the Nazca lines as well, - which actually are quite different in style.

April 29, 2004

The head of the most controversial pharaoh in Egyptian history.
Even though the museum of Luxor is much smaller than the one in Cairo, I’d prefer it any time.
The arrangement of the pieces and the almost perfect lighting create an almost mystical atmosphere.

March 11, 2004

The Mezquita (mosque) of Cordoba is an architectural wonder, even today, although building a Cathedral in its center did not exactly improve it.
Even the emperor Carlos (Charles) V is said to have commented as follows: “You have destroyed something unique in the world and built something that can be found anywhere.”
Well, nice quote, but after all it was Carlos himself who had ordered the construction of the cathedral.
Still, the maze of columns is breathtakingly beautiful.

February 25, 2004

San Giovanni degli Eremiti (12th century) is romantically situated in a very photogenic setting: a small garden that allows for many interesting angles.
Consequently, the entrance fee is a bit steep.
Those interested in the history of architecture will be baffled by the ingenious mixture of normannic and arabic styles.

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February 23, 2004

Taken in Agrigento, Sicily.
Here, I had some difficulties. No technical issues, but as soon as I had mounted the camera on my tripod, a guardian appeared, telling me in Italian that professional photographers were not allowed to take photos without a special permit (needless to say that you would have had to go back to town and surely, the office wouldn’t be open at that time).
Pointing out that I’m not a pro didn’t help either. After all, I was using a tripod!
Fortunately, I had taken a number of hand-held shots before as well as some pictures on the tripod.

Still, if you are the proud owner of a professional looking camera and/or a big tripod, I’d recommend that when visiting historic sites at night you either enquire beforehand whether you would need a tripod, - or take as many hand-held pictures as you can and only then hurry up to use your tripod.

All photos on Travelphoto NET: Copyright Laurenz Bobke.
Copyright for the photos on the Outstanding Travel Photos blog: the individual photographer Republication only with my written permission, and only with proper credit (including a link back to this site if shown on the web).